


Restless

by ohmymcgrath



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, SuperCorp, agent!Lena is going to be amazing, and my headcanon for Lena's braid, based on the promo stills for S03E17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 01:16:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14557680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmymcgrath/pseuds/ohmymcgrath
Summary: It's Lena's first day at the DEO and Kara can't quite keep still.





	Restless

Kara isn't sure why she's pacing, why her stomach feels like a pack of hummingbirds have taken up residence inside it or why her hands are so clammy. She clenches her fingers into a fist only to shake them loose again a moment later, pauses in her stride only to feel a shudder trickle through her whole body until she starts walking again. 

Alex had already stalked past her twice, giving her a funny look when Kara froze on the spot and tried to give her best "nothing's up" smile. Kara wasn't sure it was all that convincing (she could still feel the hummingbirds buzzing away) but her sister hadn't said anything yet so she considered the effort successful enough. 

She leans against the wall and huffs a sigh into the empty corridor, a touch of freeze breath at the tip of her tongue sending little patches of snow to the cold metal floor. 

_I wonder if Lena likes the snow._

The thought makes her whip her head up and then the buzzing feeling is back in her legs and, desperate to do something other than go deeper down the hall to one very specific room and the brunette she can hear breathing softly just beyond the door, she stalks out of the hall towards the main control room. 

Usually, the bustling activity of the DEO is a comfort. Usually, she can sit in one of the plush chairs they keep just for her and curl her feet up beneath her and simply watch; watch as agents type away at their reports and J'onn monitors the flashing screens and Winn taps a rhythm onto his desk with his fingers as he works on some network or other. Usually, the voices help to soothe whatever energy she can feel churning beneath her fingertips and ease the urge to jump or fly or _do_.

But today, the restlessness is too much even for the mighty DEO. Because she can still hear a too-familiar heartbeat in her ear (it's practically thrumming through her skin it's so close) and the sound of it has a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth and she feels like pacing again. 

_I still can't believe she's here._

She doesn't see Alex until her sister presses her thumb rather abruptly to the space between her eyebrows and tuts fondly. 

"Where are you today, Kara?" 

Kara snorts, scoffs and laughs all at once. "Nowhere. I'm right here. Obviously. Just relaxing. Being very patient."

_Oh Rao, she needs to stop talking._

Alex straightens, one of her delicate eyebrows raised in that big sister way that says she isn't fooled, and she crosses her arms. Kara tries to resist, she does, but lasts for mere seconds before she's confessing the truth. 

"I'm restless."

The word seems so inadequate, so _not enough_ to describe the excitement that's been bubbling inside her since the moment Lena Luthor stepped inside the DEO. She hadn't expected to like it so much, to feel so eager to share this part of her life with the other woman. And she certainly hadn't expected the warmth that tingled the back of her neck when she watched Lena stare around the room in awe, her green eyes shining as she looked at all the fancy tech before her eyes landed back on Kara, the brightness in her face making Kara's insides turn to mush. 

She thought she might regret sharing this part of her life with her best friend. After all, part of the reason she cherished Lena's friendship so deeply was because of the freedom she gave her to be just Kara. But the more she enfolded Lena into her life, the more she realized it wasn't enough. She wanted more. More Lena; more light and gentle smiles and green eyes that made her feel like the world stopped.

When Kara had noticed Lena hiding a yawn behind her palm (they had been working for hours tracking the Worldkillers and discussing Lena's research on Sam and the cure), she had admittedly made a bit of a fuss. Despite Lena's reassurance that she was fine, Kara insisted on her taking a break. That's why they had living quarters on the DEO premises, after all. Kara was used to long nights and the need for a bed on which to crash when she couldn't make it home. 

Lena was in hers right now. 

Why Kara couldn't sit still ever since she'd left the room, though, she couldn't figure out. All she knew was that Lena was here and she felt restless way down in her bones, drawn like a moth to the warmth in her room and wrangled in a constant debate over whether she would be bothering Lena too much if she knocked on the door. 

_How can I miss her so much already?_

Alex is laughing at her now, and Kara realizes she's been staring longingly down the hall with a blush. 

Oops.

She forces her eyes to her sisters face and keeps them there, trying not to look too guilty even as she wonders if she might use lunch as an excuse to visit Lena. She had to be hungry, right? 

"Why don't you go check on her. See how's she's settling in?" 

Alex doesn't sound like she's teasing her. In fact, her voice is almost encouraging as she tips her head towards the hall she had been watching Kara pace in for the past hour. Because of course she knew.

But Kara doesn't think too much about it, doesn't try to pretend like it's not everything she's been thinking about for hours. If Alex is encouraging her then it must be alright, and Kara is too relieved to do anything except jump excitedly to her feet.

"Yeah!" She says it a little too loudly. "I should go do that. You know, just to be a good host and all. Someone should go check on her."

She's racing down the hall so quickly that she doesn't see Alex's knowing smile or the shake of her shoulders as she laughs. 

For all her excitement, her hand hovers over the door, poised to knock for a solid minute. She shifts on her feet, feels the gentle hum of Lena's heartbeat in her ear, the hummingbirds fluttering in her stomach. 

In the end, it's Lena herself who opens the door. Kara is so startled that she just stands there gaping at her for a long moment, too stunned by her sudden smile to move or say something coherent or at least close her mouth so she doesn't look like a gaping fish. 

"I thought I heard you out here," Lena says and her fingers curl around the door as she peeks around it, green eyes soft and steady on Kara's face. 

When she's been silent long enough that Lena has started to raise an eyebrow curiously, she finally manages to shake herself free of whatever stupor she was in and smiles awkwardly. Then she realizes she's Supergirl, and tries to stand up a little straighter. 

_Really, it's not necessary to look like a teenager with a crush even if she feels like one._

"I just wanted to check and make sure you were settling in alright. See if there was anything you needed?" 

Kara was ready to fly to Metropolis for that Italian place Lena loved if she even hinted that she was hungry. 

But Lena just laughs and holds the door open, and even though it's technically her room Kara hesitates on the threshold until Lena tips her head as a way to invite her in. 

"I'm okay, thank you. Better after a little rest. Although I feel like a terrible guest, kicking you out of your room," Lena says as she closes the door, a wry little twist at the corner of her mouth. 

Kara gasps. "What? No! I'm happy to share. It's not _really_ mine, anyway. They just save it for me in case I need it. Alex always lectures me not to fly when I'm tired."

She cuts off at the memory of the hole in her apartment floor from the time she fell asleep once on her way home - and realizes she's rambling. But Lena is just watching her amusedly and she scrambles to say something in response to the almost fond way her eyes are watching her. 

"Besides, you're not just a guest," she tells her, her own smile morphing into one that's softer, more earnest. "The DEO really suits you, Lena. Helping people. You belong here."

Lena's jaw has gone a little slack and Kara sees her fingers twitch out of the corner of her eye, notices the blush rising to her cheeks even as she turns her head slightly to try to hide it. "You... That's very kind of you to say, Supergirl."

Lena clears her throat and settles on the edge of the bed, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress. Kara frowns, wondering if she should offer... 

Before she can finish her thought, there's a knock at the door and Alex pokes her head inside when Lena calls out for her to come in. 

"Hey, Luthor. I thought you might want a change of clothes," she says as she hands over what looks like a DEO uniform. Kara grins, having just had the idea herself. "We can get you a pair of boots, too, if you're willing to part with the heels."

Lena laughs and takes the small stack with a sincere, "Thank you."

Alex gives her a thumbs up and ducks back out again, but not before she winks at Kara. Kara can feel the tips of her ears burn as she blushes.

"That was very kind of her," Lena notes softly. Kara can see her uncertainty in the way she nibbles on her bottom lip, a gesture that Kara tries very hard not to stare at.

"You're one of us now," she declares with as much assurance as she can muster over the warmth tingling in her chest. "May as well look the part. Not that you don't already look beautiful. I mean- Well of course you already look fantastic. But... I- It might-"

_Oh Rao..._

She's still struggling to form words but Lena starts to laugh and her throat goes silent, her mind too wrapped up in the way Lena's whole face has lit up, her dimples carving little half moons into her cheeks and making Kara smile a wistful, adoring smile in return. Her heart lurches when Lena reaches forward and touches her shoulder.

"Thank you, Supergirl," she says, her eyes still bright from her smile.

Kara ducks her head and throws a thumb in the direction of the door. "Right. I should, um..."

But the hand on her arm has now curled around her bicep, and Kara lets the gesture tug her back. 

"Actually, can you... Would you mind waiting?"

Kara glances between Lena's face and the clothes in her arm and all she manages is an, "Oh."

Lena lets go of her arm to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's just that I'm not exactly sure how to find my way back," she admits.

"Oh! Yeah, of course."

Lena gives her a grateful nod before she ducks around a corner into the adjoining bathroom and Kara lets out a long but silent breath as she tries not to think too much about what Lena's doing in there. Especially since, as Lena's voice still comes to her unmuffled, she's pretty certain that the door is still open.

It helps that Lena keeps up a steady stream of conversation, asking if they've made any more progress with the Worldkillers. But, all too soon, she's stepping back into the room and the sight of her takes Kara's breath away in a sharp whoosh.

"Wow."

The word tumbles straight out of her mouth as her jaw drops, unthinking and full of awe as her eyes travel over her best friend in a way that may not be entirely friendly. But Kara can't help it. The sight of Lena, her long hair loose and curled around her shoulders, her dress replaced with the very form-fitting and very black DEO uniform, well, it's stunning. And Kara can feel her, can feel Lena slipping more and more solidly into her life, can feel _possibilities_  wrapped up in the way Lena seems to fit so perfectly here (and everywhere, honestly) - and she loves it.

She doesn't realize that Lena has been waiting for her reaction until she tells her that she looks amazing and watches as the other woman lets out a sigh of relief. The uncertainty makes Kara want to hug her, but she settles for a smile and a dorky thumbs up.

"I think I will take Agent Danvers's offer for the shoes, though," Lena jokes.

Kara, for her part, has tried not to look too much at the black heels Lena's still wearing because the combination of the sleek outfit and those shoes makes a shot of warmth pool in her stomach. Instead, she gives a shaky nod and watches as Lena runs her fingers through her hair and begins forming it into a tight braid.

When her fingers stumble and she struggles to tuck a loose strand of hair back into place, Kara's own fingers twitch.

"Can I help?" The words are out before she's even decided to say them.

Lena's eyes go a little wide and her fingers still in her hair. Kara is about to take the offer back, laugh it off, _something_. But then Lena is coming closer.

"Sure." 

She sits on the bed and curls her legs under her, looking expectantly over her shoulder as Kara takes her place behind her. Kara's hands are trembling as she runs her fingers through the braid Lena started, as she marvels at how soft her hair is and how lovely it feels to run her fingers through it, as she breathes and realizes she can smell the honey and oatmeal of her shampoo.

Thankfully, she could form a braid with her eyes closed, so she lets her fingers settle into a rhythm and focuses on her breathing instead.

"My mom used to braid my hair when I was little. Back on Krypton," she whispers. She isn't sure why she says it, why she feels this sudden, overwhelming urge to share more of herself with the woman in front of her. Usually, talking about her past makes her feel sad and she bottles up the memories as best she can, holds them close to her heart like she can't quite bear for anyone to see something so precious to her. But with Lena, the words come easily. For Lena, she says them with a smile and revels in the way Lena simply listens, in the tiny smile she can see at the corner of her mouth.

And for the first time all day, the restlessness inside her settles and _rightness_  folds into its place. A calm sort of peace that Kara so rarely feels and now never wants to let go of, all wrapped up in Lena. So she keeps talking, keeps twisting the soft strands of Lena's hair into an intricate pattern of braids that her mother once taught her (there's a specific meaning for them, on Krypton) and telling her about her past. And then she tells her everything.


End file.
